If the City Council has its way, speed humps and other traffic devices will start popping up in Greensboro in the near future.
The item was not on the agenda for the Tuesday, July 20 meeting, but since the agenda had already been thrown out the window to take items out of order, Mayor Nancy Vaughan called on Councilmember Goldie Wells to talk about speed humps and other traffic calming devices.
Wells kicked off what became a lengthy discussion, saying, “We are constantly getting requests for speed bumps and the reason is because the citizens are saying that people are racing through their neighborhoods. They feel it’s unsafe. They are afraid that someone is going to get hit, killed. I know we have this ordinance that we cannot have speed bumps, I want to know can we revisit that and see if there is something that we could do.”
Vaughan noted that they even had an email come in during the meeting requesting a speed bump or hump. She said, “We’ve had this discussion now going on over a decade. I know every single person here has requested speed humps, speed bumps, traffic calming, and I think at this point we just want them done. And I think the direction to staff is to figure out a way to not encumber public safety, make sure that EMS, police, fire, can navigate.”
Vaughan added, “We want a program for speed bumps, humps and traffic calming and we would like to see it. I would say 90 days at the most.”
Councilmember Tammi Thurm said, “I just think it’s time that we need to take action on this.”
Vaughan said, “I want to make it clear that we want to be able to move forward with some type of program.”
City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba said, “Council is not asking us to come back with a plan to implement speed bumps because that would be a totally different thing but rather to have a session around what is traffic calming devices that we can recommend.”
Vaughan interrupted Jaiyeoba and said, “No, I don’t think that’s the direction. We’ve talked about traffic calming devices before – street signs, bike lanes, all that stuff. I think we would like to see how we can implement speed bumps, speed humps.”
Greensboro Department of Transportation Director Hanna Cockburn said that they would need more data to tailor the correct traffic calming devices to a particular location.
But Vaughan said, “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m really tired of talking about it.”
Vaughan noted that the City Council was united on its desire to move forward with a program and expected staff to come back with a way to implement traffic calming devices in 90 days.
Hilarious…nothing better to do or address any other major issue in Greensboro?
Nothing calms traffic like a well trained, adequately manned, permitted to enforce all laws (including unsafe vehicles) Police Force.
Police can remove reckless operators through the courts; speed bumps damage vehicles, leave the lawbreakers unpunished, and are useless for most problem areas (eg-Wendover, 840, Holden)
Just compensate, train and hire some more quality police and fire the “defund the police” slippery city manager. This town just authorized over $4 Million for a little 16 unit homeless shelter but can’t pay premium wages for first class law enforcement.? Insanity!
How does Tai Jalyeoba keep his job? He seems to be speaking another language when the City Council addresses issues. Does he suffer from a hearing loss? He needs to be replaced ASAP.
He’s one of them. They love his views. They love paying him a ridiculously high wage with your money. Seems simple to me.
This is dummest idea I have ever read. ALL YOU NEED IS TWO SPEED GUNS AND TWO PATROL CARS AND START GIVING SPEEDING TICKETS EACH ONE GETTING PROGRESSIVE HIGHER AND LOOSE LICENSE ON FOURTH SPEEDING TICKET. This system would work and pay for its self.
All speed bumps do is PUNISH GOOD AND BAD DRIVERS. It worked for over 100 years….. .. GSO needs old fashion leadership.
You don’t need traffic-calming devices, you need enforcement devices called……….GPD!
I hope they don’t keep talking about this, because if they do, they will eventually do something asinine, like putting piles of concrete in the middle of the street like they did on North Elam Ave. What moron thought that was a good idea?
Why doesn’t the city start by actually fixing the streets first? My neighborhood has pot holes, cracked and crumbling pavement with grass growing in the cracks, sinking curbing that’s broken and if you complain, you get no response. I’d like to see something for my tax dollars since I don’t have very good police protection, limited garbage service ( yeah, I can remember when it was picked up twice a week) and I can’t afford to go downtown to the vaunted Tanger Center.
I could be worse. For all the money I send to the county, I get even less- except for a bill every year.
We just got this years’ tax bill. Another re-evaluation soon. Tax here, fee there, first thing you know, you’ll run out of other people’s money. Have you been to Philadelphia lately?
Punishing EVERYONE by putting in “traffic calming devices” is the socialist-communist answer to a problem, just like telling little school kids that there’ll be no recess until the class gives up the name of the kid who drew the cartoon picture of the principal on the chalkboard.
Making sure that there are enough enforcement officers on staff at the police department to handle traffic complaints throughout the city as well as answer emergency calls and do investigations of crimes doesn’t fit with the socialist-communist progressive agenda of the majority of Greensboro’s politicians and activists who believe that driving, owning a car, giving out tickets to traffic violators, fines, citations, and arrests are racist and part of white supremacy.
That’s why they must promote an idea that’s apparently not legal in Greensboro per Wells, “I know we have this ordinance that we cannot have speed bumps…” but are willing to ignore that to impose their will on EVERYONE as Vaughn explained, “I think we would like to see how we can implement speed bumps, speed humps.” because it fits their agenda which allows them to continue reshaping this area into a place with less freedom and more control.
Right! Control is part of the Democrat agenda. Another agenda is to pit us against each other to an extent that it allows them to advance their entire agenda unnoticed. See the “Democrat Playbook” on line.
The problem with this is that the state has not funded the court system adequately. Therefore, your proposed fix would not do anything but give lawyers like me a payday.
How about cameras at stop lights. Police patrolling and giving tickets, police who set a good example by not speeding when not in a chase.
Money leaving the pocket is what slows the pocket. Use the fines to purchase more red light cameras.
This should be one of the priority jobs of the police department.
The more the police withdraws from patrol of traffic the more crime grows. This shows the public that we have a police force and they are doing their job. They need to be polite but do their job.
The camera method did not work before, no reason it would work now. Besides, it would be another Big Brother.
Think of what the cost to construct these barriers and speed bumps will be? If the police were allowed to do their jobs and issue tickets, the revenue stream from the collection of fines will be a money maker for the city and deter repeat offenders.